Back in the imperial study, Zhao Yi angrily smashed the inkstone.
"Oh dear, Your Majesty, why are you arguing with Prince Rui?!" Li An bent down to clean up the mess, carefully trying to persuade him, "Looking at it this way, Prince Rui is just worried and confused!"
"He's openly forcing me!" Zhao Yi roared. "If I had a way, would I have come up with such a devastating method? Don't I feel any pity for Zhizhi? Li An, have you found out yet? Who rescued Zhizhi?!"
Li An shook his head: "This old servant is incompetent and has not been able to get any useful information. Feng Hong and Lan Ru are old servants of the late Empress Dowager, and are naturally the most loyal. Even if this old servant sent someone to kill them, they would not reveal a single word about His Highness."
"Enough!" Zhao Yi said irritably. "Their lives are still useful. In the future, Zhizhi will still need them."
Li An acknowledged and withdrew, then turned and instructed someone to deliver wound medicine to Lan Ru and Feng Hong.
After Li An left, Zhao Yi took out the pear wood box he had taken from Shen Hanshan from a hidden compartment. He tried to open it many times but failed, and dared not break it open rashly, fearing there might be some hidden weapon inside.
When Ang Lee returned, he pushed the box in front of him and instructed him to find a reliable craftsman to open it.
Ang Lee bowed his head in agreement, then hurriedly left with the box in his arms.
"Who will rescue her?" Zhao Yi pondered deeply.
"Yun Li's people?" He quickly dismissed his guess. "That's impossible. I have spies in the Prince's mansion, and they haven't found any strangers coming in or out."
Zhao Yi speculated that once Zhao Zhi escaped danger, whose help would she seek?
"Chaoyang County!" he slammed his hand on the table and shouted, "Guards!"
A hidden guard quickly appeared before him, prostrating himself and asking, "What are your orders, Your Majesty?"
"Go to Chaoyang County immediately and secretly find out news about the Eldest Princess!"
"Your subordinate obeys!" The hidden guard accepted the order and left, his figure quickly disappearing into the night.
Meanwhile, on the official road leading to Chaoyang County, Zhao Shouzhen and his wife's caravan, along with a merchant caravan, were resting by the roadside because they hadn't encountered an inn due to their slow pace.
Suddenly, the sound of rapid hoofbeats grew louder as it approached. Everyone awoke with a start, grabbing their weapons and preparing to defend themselves.
But the other side was clearly prepared. They circled the convoy and sprinkled some unknown powder, causing the entire caravan to lie crookedly and sprawling in an instant.
Even the guards of Prince Rui's mansion who were monitoring everything from a tree not far away could not escape the calamity.
One of them jumped onto Zhao Shouzhen and his wife's carriage and placed a sachet under their noses for a moment, after which the two of them slowly woke up.
The man took out half a jade pendant and waved it in front of Zhang Wan. "Does Madam recognize this?"
Zhang Wan looked closely and realized that the jade pendant was none other than Qingxuan in Zhao Zhi's hand!
She pinched her palm hard, forcing herself to calm down, and asked, "What do you want to do?"
"We were entrusted by Miss Zhao to take Madam and Master to Yunchao to reunite with her. Miss Zhao is already five or six months pregnant, and Madam must be quite worried, right?"
Zhang Wan lowered her eyes in thought: The other party knows Zhao Zhi's relationship with her and accurately stated the month of her pregnancy; they're probably holding the baby. No matter what lies ahead, she has to go!
She nodded emphatically, "Okay, I'll go with you. But I have one condition."
The man relaxed and readily said, "Please speak, Madam!"
"The merchants traveling with us are all innocent people. Could you spare their lives?"
The man laughed and said, "Madam, we had no intention of taking their lives, nor did we intend to rob them. We came here specifically for you. Our master was worried that Miss Zhao was homesick, so he specially instructed us to come and invite you and your master."
“Your master is—” Zhang Wan suddenly realized that these people were Cui Shenghe, sent by Yun Li, the current emperor of the Yun Dynasty.
So, Zhizhi is out of danger. She excitedly grasped Zhao Shouzhen's hand and stammered, "Let's go, let's go."
Zhao Shouzhen took her hand in return and said affectionately, "Wherever you are, I will go."
The sound of horses' hooves gradually rose.
As dawn broke, the group, disguised as merchants, slowly crossed the border of Chaoyang County and embarked on the winding ancient road leading to Chunsheng County.
Unlike the desolate autumn winds and barren landscapes along the northern route from Da Xuan, Chun Sheng County, located in the south of Yun Chao, enjoys a spring-like climate year-round, with flowers blooming like brocade along the way for miles.
Zhang Wan and Zhao Shouzhen, however, had no interest in appreciating the beautiful scenery.
Zhao Shouzhen said worriedly, "If Yun'er finds out that we've come to Yunchao, I wonder how much of a fuss she'll make?"
“Master, she won’t know.” Zhang Wan said, holding his hand. “I’ve raised Yun’er and Zhizhi as my own daughters since they were little, but look at their personalities. You all say I’m biased towards Zhizhi, and that children who are favored by their parents often amount to nothing, but what about Zhizhi? She hasn’t been spoiled rotten by me. On the other hand, Yun’er envied Zhizhi since she was little, and now she’s resentful of Zhizhi.”
Zhizhi has been allergic to almonds since she was little. Every maid in the entire household knows this, except for Yun'er, her own sister! Every time Yun'er takes almond pastries, Zhizhi eats them herself, enduring the pain of her allergic reaction. Zhizhi always thinks of Yun'er, but our Yun'er…”
"Wan'er, alas! It's all my fault for neglecting the children's growth all these years..."
Zhao Shouzhen said softly.
"Master, I thought you were also upset that I didn't care about Yun'er!" Zhang Wan gently leaned her head against Zhao Shouzhen, feeling utterly exhausted.
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